Recordation of electronic payment transaction information

ABSTRACT

A system, apparatus, and method for processing payment transactions that are conducted using a mobile device that includes a contactless element, such as an integrated circuit chip. An account holder is enabled to generate transaction related data and append that data to a transaction record or transaction identifier. The appended data and transaction record or identifier may be stored in the mobile payment device and/or provided to an Issuer. If provided to an Issuer, the transaction related data generated by the account holder may be used to supplement an account statement. The additional information generated by the account holder may be used to assist the account holder in determining if a transaction is valid by providing information that helps the account holder to recall the location or other aspect of the transaction.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.12/563,430, filed Sep. 21, 2009, titled “Recordation of ElectronicPayment Transaction Information,” which application claims the benefitof U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/099,060, entitled“Contactless Phone With Secret Data,” filed Sep. 22, 2008, the contentsof which are hereby incorporated in their entirety by reference for allpurposes.

BACKGROUND

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to systems,apparatuses and methods for enabling electronic payment transactions,and more specifically, to a system and associated apparatus and methodfor providing additional, consumer generated information regarding atransaction to an Issuer so that a consumer can utilize that informationwhen reviewing their account statement. The information may assist aconsumer to better identify valid transactions and hence reduce thenumber of transactions that are reported as potentially fraudulent,thereby conserving resources of the Issuer or payment processor.Embodiments of the present invention are further directed to systems,apparatuses, and methods for using a contactless element such as anintegrated circuit chip embedded in a wireless mobile device to enablepayment transactions.

Consumer payment devices are used by millions of people worldwide tofacilitate various types of commercial transactions. In a typicaltransaction involving the purchase of a product or service at a merchantlocation, the payment device is presented at a point of sale terminal(“POS terminal”) located at a merchant's place of business. The POSterminal may be a card reader or similar device that is capable ofaccessing data stored on the payment device, where this data may includeidentification or authentication data, for example. Some or all of thedata read from the payment device is provided to the merchant'stransaction processing system and then to the Acquirer, which istypically a bank or other institution that manages the merchant'saccount. The data provided to the Acquirer may then be provided to apayment processing network that is in communication with data processorsthat process the transaction data to determine if the transaction shouldbe authorized by the network, and assist in the clearance and accountsettlement functions for the transaction. The authorization decision andclearance and settlement portions of the transaction may also involvecommunication and/or data transfer between the payment processingnetwork and the bank or institution that issued the payment device tothe consumer (the Issuer).

Although a consumer payment device may be a credit or debit card, it mayalso take the form of a “smart” card or chip. A smart card is generallydefined as a pocket-sized card (or other portable payment device) thatis embedded with a microprocessor and one or more memory chips, or isembedded with one or more memory chips with non-programmable logic. Themicroprocessor type card typically can implement certain data processingfunctions, such as to add, delete, or otherwise manipulate informationstored in a memory location on the card. In contrast, the memory chiptype card (for example, a prepaid phone card) can typically only act asa file to hold data that is manipulated by a card reading device toperform a pre-defined operation, such as debiting a charge from apre-established balance stored in the memory. Smart cards, unlikemagnetic stripe cards (such as standard credit cards), can implement avariety of functions and can contain a variety of types of informationon the card. Therefore, in some applications they may not require accessto remote databases for the purpose of user authentication or recordkeeping at the time of a transaction. A smart chip is a semiconductordevice that is capable of performing most, if not all, of the functionsof a smart card, but may be embedded in another device.

Smart cards or chips come in two general varieties; the contact type andthe contactless type. A contact type smart card or chip is one thatincludes a physical element (e.g., a contact plate or similar element)that enables access to the data and functional capabilities of the card,typically via some form of terminal or card reader. A contactless smartcard or chip is a device that incorporates a means of communicating withthe card reader or point of sale terminal without the need for directcontact. Thus, such devices may effectively be “swiped” (i.e., waved orotherwise presented in a manner that results in enabling communicationbetween the contactless element and a reader or terminal) by passingthem close to a card reader or terminal. Contactless cards or chipstypically communicate with a card reader or terminal using RF(radio-frequency) technology, wherein proximity to the reader orterminal causes data transfer between the card or chip and the reader orterminal. Contactless cards have found uses in banking and otherapplications, where they have the advantage of not requiring removalfrom a user's wallet or pocket in order to participate in a transaction.A contactless card or chip may be embedded in, or otherwise incorporatedinto, a mobile device such as a mobile phone or personal digitalassistant (PDA). Further, because of the growing interest in such cards,standards have been developed that govern the operation and interfacesfor contactless smart cards, such as the ISO 14443 standard.

In a typical payment transaction, data is sent from a point of saleterminal to the Issuer to authenticate a consumer and obtainauthorization for the transaction. As part of the authentication orauthorization processes, the data may be accessed or processed by otherelements of the transaction processing system (e.g., the merchant'sAcquirer or a payment processor that is part of a payment processingnetwork). Note that in some cases, authorization for the transaction maybe obtained without connecting to the Issuer; this may be permitted byIssuer configured risk management parameters that have been set on theconsumer's payment application or payment device. If the proposedtransaction is authorized, then the consumer may provide otherinformation to the merchant as part of completing the transaction. Afterclearance and settlement of a transaction, the Issuer typically updatesits transaction records for the relevant account and provides a recordof all finalized transactions to the account holder on a regular basisin the form of a monthly statement, bill or other format.

However, upon receipt of the transaction record (such as a credit cardaccount statement or bill), it can be difficult for an account holder toverify that a listed transaction is valid. This may occur, for example,because the transaction is listed under a business name that is notfamiliar to the account holder because it does not correspond to thename of the business where the transaction took place. This situationmay occur where a parent corporation owns franchises operating undermultiple brand names. The inability of an account holder to be certainof the validity of a transaction can lead to dissatisfaction on theaccount holder's part, and can increase the account holder's use ofIssuer resources in the areas of consumer relations or investigatingpotentially fraudulent transactions.

What is desired is a system, apparatus and method for providing anaccount holder with additional information to assist them in identifyingvalid transactions in an account statement or bill, and which overcomesthe noted disadvantages of current approaches. Embodiments of theinvention address these problems and other problems individually andcollectively.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a system,apparatus, and method for enabling electronic payment transactions byproviding additional transaction related information on a consumer'saccount statement or bill. In some embodiments, upon activation of apayment application installed on a mobile device or initiation of apayment transaction, the device user is provided with an opportunity toappend transaction related data to a transaction identifier or record.The appended transaction related data may be in the form of aphotograph, GPS location data, a map, a voice recording, a text message,or other suitable format. The transaction related data may serve toidentify the merchant where the transaction took place, or to providethe account holder with information that helps them recollect thetransaction. The transaction related data generated by the accountholder is linked or associated with a transaction identifier or othertransaction data provided by a merchant. The transaction related dataand identifier are then provided to the Issuer, typically using awireless phone network as the data transport channel. The Issuer canstore the transaction related data along with its other records for thetransaction and provide that data (or if more suitable, a link to enableaccess to that data) as part of the account statement. The transactionrelated data may also be stored in the mobile device and be madeavailable to the account holder for review after receipt of the accountstatement. The mobile device may be a mobile phone, PDA, or othersuitable device and may incorporate a contactless element that is usedto participate in payment transactions.

In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a mobile devicefor use in conducting a payment transaction, where the mobile deviceincludes a processor, a memory, and a set of instructions stored in thememory, which when executed by the processor implement a method toreceive an input from a user activating a function of the mobile deviceto generate additional payment transaction related information, andprovide the additional payment transaction related information to anentity responsible for processing payment transaction data, wherein theadditional payment transaction related information assists the user torecollect the circumstances of the transaction.

In another embodiment, the present invention is directed to a method ofperforming a payment transaction, where the method includes conductingthe payment transaction using a payment device, wherein the paymentdevice includes a contactless element and is contained in a mobilephone, generating additional payment transaction related informationusing a function of the mobile phone, wherein the additional paymenttransaction related information assists the user to recollect thecircumstances of the transaction, and providing the additional paymenttransaction related information to an entity responsible for processingpayment transaction data, the additional payment transaction relatedinformation being provided using a wireless phone network.

In yet another embodiment, the present invention is directed to a systemfor performing a payment transaction, where the system includes a mobilewireless phone configured to execute a process to conduct a paymenttransaction in response to communication with a terminal using a nearfield communications mechanism, generate a request to a user of themobile phone asking the user if they wish to generate additionalinformation related to the payment transaction, activate a function ofthe mobile wireless phone to generate the additional information relatedto the transaction, associate the additional information with anidentifier for the payment transaction, and transfer the additionalinformation and the associated identifier over a wireless network, and aserver configured to execute a process to receive the additionalinformation and the associated identifier, process the receivedadditional information, generate an account statement for the user, andpresent the account statement to the user, wherein the account statementincludes the additional transaction related information or a mechanismfor accessing the additional transaction related information.

Other objects and advantages of embodiments of the present inventionwill be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of thedetailed description of the present invention and the included figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a transaction processing systemthat may be used with some embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating the primary componentsof a system for providing additional transaction related information ona consumer's account statement or bill for a transaction that uses acontactless element contained within a mobile device, in accordance withan embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram illustrating the primary componentsof a mobile device, such as a mobile phone that may be used as part ofthe inventive system and method;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of the inventive methodor process for assisting an account holder to verify the validity of apayment transaction by generating additional transaction related data,in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an exemplary computing apparatus that maybe used to implement an embodiment of the inventive method or processfor assisting an account holder to verify the validity of a paymenttransaction by providing additional transaction related information on aconsumer's account statement or bill.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a system,apparatus, and method for processing payment transactions that areconducted using a mobile device that includes a contactless element,such as an integrated circuit chip. Embodiments of the invention enablean account holder to generate transaction related data and append thatdata to a transaction record or transaction identifier. The appendeddata and transaction record or identifier may be stored in the mobilepayment device, and if desired, provided to an Issuer. If provided to anIssuer, the transaction related data generated by the account holder maybe used to supplement an account statement. Whether stored in the deviceor provided to an Issuer, the additional information generated by theaccount holder may be used to assist the account holder in determiningif a transaction is valid by providing information that helps theaccount holder to recall the location or another aspect of thetransaction.

Embodiments of the present invention are typically implemented in thecontext of a payment transaction; therefore prior to describing one ormore embodiments of the invention in greater detail, a brief discussionof the entities involved in processing and authorizing a paymenttransaction, and their roles in the authorization process will bepresented.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a transaction processing systemthat may be used with some embodiments of the present invention.Typically, an electronic payment transaction is authorized if theconsumer conducting the transaction is properly authenticated (i.e.,their identity and their valid use of a payment account is verified) andhas sufficient funds or credit to conduct the transaction. Conversely,if there are insufficient funds or credit in the consumer's account, orif the consumer's payment device is on a negative list (e.g., it isindicated as possibly having been stolen), then an electronic paymenttransaction may not be authorized. In the following description, an“Acquirer” is typically a business entity (e.g., a commercial bank) thathas a business relationship with a particular merchant. An “Issuer” istypically a business entity (e.g., a bank) which issues a payment devicesuch as a credit or debit card to a consumer. Some entities may performboth Issuer and Acquirer functions.

FIG. 1 illustrates the primary functional elements that are typicallyinvolved in processing a payment transaction and in the authorizationprocess for such a transaction. As shown in FIG. 1, in a typical paymenttransaction, a consumer wishing to purchase a good or service from amerchant uses a portable consumer payment device 20 to provide paymenttransaction data that may be used in an authorization process. Portableconsumer payment device 20 may be a debit card, credit card, contact orcontactless smart card, mobile device containing a contactless chip, orother suitable form of device.

The portable consumer payment device is presented to a device reader orpoint of sale (POS) terminal 22 which is able to access data stored onor within the payment device. The account data (as well as any requiredconsumer provided data) is communicated to the merchant 24 andultimately to the merchant's transaction/data processing system 26. Aspart of the authorization process performed by the merchant, merchanttransaction processing system 26 may access merchant database 28, whichtypically stores data regarding the customer/consumer (as the result ofa registration process with the merchant, for example), the consumer'spayment device, and the consumer's transaction history with themerchant. Merchant transaction processing system 26 typicallycommunicates with Acquirer 30 (which manages the merchant's accounts) aspart of the overall authorization process. Merchant transactionprocessing system 26 and/or Acquirer 30 provide data to PaymentProcessing Network 34, which among other functions, participates in theclearance and settlement processes that are part of the overalltransaction processing. Communication and data transfer between Merchanttransaction processing system 26 and Payment Processing Network 34 istypically by means of an intermediary, such as Acquirer 30. As part ofthe transaction authorization process, Payment Processing Network 34 mayaccess account database 36, which typically contains informationregarding the consumer's account history, payment, chargeback or disputehistory, credit worthiness, etc. Payment Processing Network 34communicates with Issuer 38 as part of the authorization process, whereIssuer 38 is the entity that issued the payment device to the consumerand manages the consumer's account. Customer or consumer account data istypically stored in customer/consumer database 40 which may be accessedby Issuer 38 as part of the authentication, authorization or accountmanagement processes. Note that instead of, or in addition to beingstored in account database 36, consumer account data may be included in,or otherwise part of customer/consumer database 40.

In standard operation, a transaction authorization request message iscreated during a consumer purchase of a good or service at a point ofsale (POS) using a portable consumer payment device (such as a credit ordebit card). In some embodiments, the portable consumer payment devicemay be a wireless phone that incorporates a contactless card or chip.The contactless card or chip may communicate with the point of saleterminal using a near field communications (NFC) capability (such as RF,infrared, optical, etc.). The authorization request message is typicallysent from the device reader/POS terminal 22 through the merchant's dataprocessing system 26 to the merchant's Acquirer 30, to a paymentprocessing network 34, and then to an Issuer 38. An authorizationrequest message can include a request for authorization to conduct anelectronic payment transaction. It may include one or more of an accountholder's payment account number, currency code, sale amount, merchanttransaction stamp, acceptor city, acceptor state/country, etc. Anauthorization request message may be protected using a secure encryptionmethod (e.g., 128-bit SSL or equivalent) in order to prevent data frombeing compromised.

After the Issuer receives the authorization request message, the Issuerdetermines if the transaction should be authorized and sends anauthorization response message back to the payment processing network toindicate whether or not the current transaction is authorized. Thepayment processing system then forwards the authorization responsemessage to the Acquirer. The Acquirer then sends the response message tothe Merchant. The Merchant is thus made aware of whether the Issuer hasauthorized the transaction, and hence whether the transaction can becompleted.

At a later time, a clearance and settlement process may be conducted bythe payment/transaction processing system. A clearance process involvesexchanging financial details between an Acquirer and an Issuer tofacilitate posting a transaction to a consumer's account and reconcilingthe consumer's settlement position. Clearance and settlement can occursimultaneously or as separate processes.

Payment Processing Network 34 may include data processing subsystems,networks, and other means of implementing operations used to support anddeliver authorization services, exception file services, and clearingand settlement services for payment transactions. An exemplary PaymentProcessing Network may include VisaNet. Payment Processing Networks suchas VisaNet are able to process credit card transactions, debit cardtransactions, and other types of commercial transactions. VisaNet, inparticular, includes a VIP system (Visa Integrated Payments system)which processes authorization requests and a Base II system whichperforms clearing and settlement services.

Payment Processing Network 34 may include a server computer. A servercomputer is typically a powerful computer or cluster of computers. Forexample, the server computer can be a large mainframe, a minicomputercluster, or a group of servers functioning as a unit. In one example,the server computer may be a database server coupled to a web server.Payment Processing Network 34 may use any suitable combination of wiredor wireless networks, including the Internet, to permit communicationand data transfer between network elements. Among other functions,Payment Processing Network 34 may be responsible for ensuring that auser is authorized to conduct the transaction (via an authenticationprocess), confirm the identity of a party to a transaction (via receiptof a personal identification number), confirm a sufficient balance orcredit line to permit a purchase, or reconcile the amount of a purchasewith the user's account (via entering a record of the transactionamount, date, etc.).

Consumer payment device 20 may take one of many suitable forms. Asmentioned, the portable consumer device can be a mobile device thatincorporates a contactless element such as a chip for storing paymentdata (e.g., a BIN number, account number, etc.) and a near fieldcommunications (NFC) data transfer element such as an antenna, a lightemitting diode, a laser, etc. The portable consumer device may alsoinclude a keychain device (such as the Speedpass™ commercially availablefrom Exxon-Mobil Corp.), etc. The device containing the contactless cardor chip, or other data storage element may be a cellular (mobile) phone,personal digital assistant (PDA), pager, transponder, or the like. Theportable consumer device may incorporate the ability to perform debitfunctions (e.g., a debit card), credit functions (e.g., a credit card),or stored value functions (e.g., a stored value or pre-paid card).

In embodiments of the invention that include a contactless elementembedded within a wireless mobile phone or similar device, thecontactless element can communicate with a Merchant's device reader orpoint of sale terminal using a short range communication method, such asa near field communications (NFC) capability. Examples of such NFCtechnologies or similar short range communications technologies includeISO standard 14443, RFID, Bluetooth™ and Infra-red communicationsmethods.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating the primary componentsof a system 100 for providing additional transaction related informationon a consumer's account statement or bill for a transaction that uses acontactless element contained within a mobile device, in accordance withan embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, system 100includes a mobile device 102 having wireless communications capabilities122. Mobile device 102 may be a wireless mobile telephone, PDA, laptopcomputer, pager, etc. In a typical embodiment, mobile device 102 is acell phone, although as noted, implementation of the present inventionis not limited to this embodiment. In the case of a cell phone as themobile device 102, the device includes mobile device (cell phone)circuitry 104 that enables certain of the telephony functions. Amongother functions, mobile device circuitry 104 enables mobile device 102to communicate wirelessly with cellular system (i.e., a wirelesscarrier) 120 via cellular network 122.

Mobile device 102 further includes a contactless element 106, typicallyimplemented in the form of a semiconductor chip. Contactless element 106may include a secure data storage element 110, although secure datastorage element 110 may also be implemented as an element that isseparate from contactless element 106. Contactless element 106 includesa near field communications (NFC) data transfer (e.g., datatransmission) element 105, such as an antenna or transducer. Contactlesselement 106 is typically embedded within and integrated with theelements of mobile device 102, and data or control instructionstransmitted via cellular network 122 may be exchanged with or applied tocontactless element 106 by means of contactless element interface 108.Contactless element interface 108 functions to permit the exchange ofdata and/or control instructions between mobile device circuitry 104(and hence the cellular network) and contactless element 106. Thus,contactless element 106 may include data storage capability in the formof a memory or secure data storage 110 that may be accessed viainterface 108 to permit the implementation of data read, write, anderase functions, for example.

Secure data storage 110 may be used by mobile device 102 to storeoperating parameters or other data utilized in the operation of thedevice. Secure data storage 110 may also be used to store other data forwhich enhanced security is desired; for example, transaction data,personal account data, identification data, authentication data, accesscontrol data for an application or device function, executable code foran application, etc. As mentioned, secure data storage 110 may beimplemented in the form of a chip that is separate and apart fromcontactless element 106, or alternatively, may be a section of memory ina chip that forms part of contactless element 106. Note also that thesecure data storage and/or contactless element contained within themobile device may be a removable element or may be integrated within themobile device. Examples of removable elements include SIM cards, flashmemory cards, and other suitable memory devices.

Mobile device 102 may also include one or more applications 109, whereapplications 109 are implemented in the form of one or more of software,firmware, or hardware. Applications 109 are used to implement variousfunctions desired by a user, where such functions may include, but arenot limited to, eCommerce transaction operations, transaction paymentoperations, location determination, messaging, etc. Typically,applications 109 represent processes or operations that are dedicated toa specific function that provides added value to the user and which arenot part of the standard operation of the device (e.g., in the case of amobile phone, not part of enabling the standard telephony functions). Asshown in the figure, applications 109 may exchange data with secure datastorage 110 (via contactless element interface 108) and may also becapable of exchanging data with mobile device circuitry 104. A typicalapplication 109 for the purposes of describing an embodiment of thepresent invention is a payment application that enables a user to makepayments for a transaction, where the transaction is wholly or partiallyexecuted using the mobile device. In such an example, secure datastorage 110 may contain authentication data, user identification data,transaction record data, account balance data, executable code for anapplication, etc. Applications 109 are typically stored as a set ofexecutable instructions in memory 107, which may also include datastorage 113 (although, as noted, an application or part of anapplication may also be stored in secure data storage 110). A processoraccesses memory 107 to load and unload the instructions and data asneeded to execute the instructions and perform the functions of theapplications. In some embodiments, mobile device 102 may also include anapplication that enables the device to determine its location based oncommunicating with a global positioning satellite (GPS) system, elementsof the wireless network infrastructure, another suitable technology, ora combination of the technologies.

Contactless element 106 is capable of transferring and receiving datausing data transfer element 105 which implements a near fieldcommunications capability 112, typically in accordance with astandardized protocol or data transfer mechanism (identified as ISO14443/NFC in the figure). Near field communications capability 112 is ashort-range communications capability; examples include the ISO 14443standard, RFID, Bluetooth™, infra-red, or other data transfer mechanismthat can be used to exchange data between the mobile device 102 and adevice reader or point of sale terminal 130, which is typically locatedat a Merchant's place of business. Thus, mobile device 102 is capable ofcommunicating and transferring data and/or control instructions via bothcellular network 122 and near field communications capability 112.

System 100 further includes Acquirer 132 which is in communication withMerchant or Merchant's reader or point of sale terminal 130. Acquirer132 is also capable of communication with Payment Processing Network 134and as was described, may exchange data with Payment Processing Network134 as part of the transaction authorization process. Payment ProcessingNetwork 134 is also capable of communication with Issuer 136. As wasdescribed, Issuer 136 may exchange data with Payment Processing Network134 as part of the transaction authorization or transactionreconciliation process.

System 100 may also include Mobile Gateway 138, which is capable ofcoupling the cellular (wireless) network or system to a second network(typically a wireline network such as the Internet) and enabling thetransfer of data between the networks. Mobile Gateway 138 may performdata processing operations as needed to permit the efficient transfer ofdata between the two types of networks, including, but not limited to,data reformatting or other processing to take into account differencesin network protocols. Mobile Gateway 138 may also perform dataprocessing operations to enable more efficient data transfer between thenetworks and devices coupled to each type of network, such as forpurposes of improving the ability of a user to utilize the received dataon a mobile device. As shown in the figure, in some embodiments, MobileGateway 138 is coupled to Payment Processing Network 134, which iscoupled to Acquirer 130. Note that other embodiments are possible, suchas where Mobile Gateway 138 is coupled to Issuer 136, as well as whereAcquirer 130 is coupled to Issuer 136. Similarly, Issuer 136 may includethe capability of functioning as Mobile Gateway 138.

Inventive system 100 provides an efficient way for a user to perform oneor more of initiating, executing, or paying for a transaction using acontactless element. By integrating the contactless element with themobile device's telephony communications capabilities, the cellularnetwork may be used as a data transfer channel between an Issuer orPayment Processing Network element and the user's mobile device. In someembodiments, the system may be used to enable an account holder togenerate additional data related to a payment transaction that willassist the account holder to verify that the transaction is valid whenthe account holder reviews an account statement, such as a credit ordebit card bill. The additional data may be stored in a mobile paymentdevice and/or provided to an Issuer of the payment device for inclusionon the account statement. The additional data may be provided to theIssuer over the wireless cellular network or using the near fieldcommunications capability of a contactless element in the user's device.Upon receipt of the account statement, the additional data may beaccessed from storage on the user's device or viewed as part of thestatement (or may be accessed in accordance with information provided aspart of the statement). The additional data may take the form of anysuitable data that is relevant to assisting the account holder todetermine if the transaction is a valid one, and may include, but is notlimited to a photograph or similar image, merchant location data (e.g.,based on a GPS or network derived position fix of the user's mobiledevice at the time of the transaction), a voice or other audiorecording, a text message, etc.

As discussed, in some embodiments, mobile device 102 may be a devicecapable of communication and data transfer with a cellular network andwith a near field communication system. As noted, one example is amobile wireless phone. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram illustratingthe primary components of a portable consumer device (e.g., element 102of FIG. 2), such as a mobile phone that may be used as part of theinventive system and method. As illustrated in FIG. 3, mobile device 302may include circuitry that is used to enable certain telephony and otherdevice functions. The functional elements responsible for enabling thosefunctions may include a processor 304 for executing instructions thatimplement the functions and operations of the device. Processor 304 mayaccess data storage 312 (or another suitable memory region or element)to retrieve instructions and/or data used in executing the instructions.Data input/output elements 308 may be used to enable a user to inputdata (via a microphone, camera, or keyboard, for example) or receiveoutput data (via a speaker, for example). Display 306 may also be usedto output data to a user. Communications element 310 may be used toenable data transfer between device 302 and a wireless network (viaantenna 318, for example) to assist in enabling telephony and datatransfer functions. Communications element 310 may also includehardware, software, firmware, or a combination of such elements thatenable the device to determine its location using a suitable locationdetermining technology. Such technologies include, but are not limitedto, GPS, network infrastructure, cell location, etc. As described withreference to FIG. 2, device 302 may also include contactless elementinterface 314 to enable data transfer between contactless element 316and other elements of the device, where contactless element 316 mayinclude a secure memory and a near field communications data transferelement.

Data storage 312 may be a memory that stores data, and may be in anysuitable form including a memory chip, etc. The memory may be used tostore data such as user identification or authentication information,user account information, transaction data, etc. Stored financialinformation may include information such as bank account information,bank identification number (BIN), credit or debit card numberinformation, account balance information, expiration date, consumerinformation such as name, date of birth, etc. Note that such data mayinstead, or in addition be stored in a secure data storage element suchas secure data storage 110 of FIG. 2, or in a secure memory that is partof contactless element 316. As described, data storage 312 may alsocontain instructions which when executed by processor 304 implementoperations or processes that are part of the operation of the device.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method or process for assisting anaccount holder to verify the validity of a payment transaction bygenerating additional transaction related data, in accordance with someembodiments of the present invention. The process steps or stagesillustrated in the figure may be implemented as an independent routineor process, or as part of a larger routine or process. Note that eachprocess step or stage depicted may be implemented as an apparatus thatincludes a processor executing a set of instructions, a method, or asystem, among other embodiments.

As shown in the figure, a user participates in a payment transactionusing a mobile device (stage 402). Examples of suitable mobile devicesinclude, but are not limited to, element 102 of FIG. 2 or element 302 ofFIG. 3. In some embodiments, the user may activate a payment applicationinstalled on the device (such as element 109 of FIG. 2, or element 312of FIG. 3) in order to enable data to be provided to a merchant devicereader or point of sale terminal (e.g., element 130 of FIG. 2) as partof the transaction. Depending on the situation, the payment device maybe used to initiate, provide data used as part of an authenticationand/or authorization process, or otherwise participate in a transactionas a result of communication between the payment device and a Merchantdevice reader or point of sale terminal (element 130 of FIG. 2). Forexample, a merchant may ask that a consumer “swipe” (i.e., wave, tap, orotherwise present) their mobile device near a device reader or point ofsale terminal in order to provide data needed to process a request for atransaction.

The payment device may be a mobile wireless phone or similar device thatincludes a contactless element, for example. As discussed, thecontactless element (e.g., element 106 of FIG. 2 or element 316 of FIG.3) is capable of communication and data transfer using a near fieldcommunications capability. The transaction may be executed in part bypassing the payment device near the device reader or point of saleterminal to permit the payment device and the reader or terminal toestablish communications and exchange data. In a typical interaction,data stored in the payment device is provided to the device reader orpoint of sale terminal. The data may include user identification data,account data, or other data required by a Merchant to authenticate auser and permit the user to participate in a transaction. The Merchantmay provide certain transaction data (a transaction identifier, anauthorization code, a description of certain aspects of the transaction)to the mobile device via the device reader or point of sale terminal.

As has been described, in some embodiments, the mobile device is in theform of a mobile phone that is capable of communication and datatransfer with a cellular network and a near field communication system.If the mobile payment device is in the form of a device other than amobile phone, it may be capable of transferring data using a wirelesscellular network, a near field communications capability, or bothmethods. If the device is a mobile phone, it may incorporate one or moreof the ability to capture images (i.e., a camera), determine itslocation (e.g., a GPS or network location fix), receive informationabout its present location from a network infrastructure element, recorda voice recording, generate a text message or other form of document, orother suitable means of generating and storing transaction related data.If the device is not a mobile phone it may incorporate one or more ofthe types of data generation methods described.

At stage 404 the payment device user is asked if they want to addtransaction related data to the transaction record. This query istypically presented to the user in the form of a question displayed on adisplay of the device (such as display 306 of FIG. 3). As described, onepurpose of the added data is to assist the account holder (the paymentdevice user) to verify that a transaction listed on an account statementis a valid transaction. If the user does not desire to add transactionrelated data to the transaction record, then the processing of thetransaction proceeds as it would in a standard or normal situation(stage 405). However, if the user does desire to add transaction relateddata to the transaction record, then the user may be asked to specifywhat type of data they wish to provide as part of the transaction record(stage 406). The additional data may take any suitable or relevant form,including but not limited to, a location determination (via GPS ornetwork infrastructure fix), an image or photo of the transactionlocation or something reminiscent of that location, a voice recordingdescribing an aspect of the transaction, a text document describing anaspect of the transaction, etc. In some embodiments, the GPS or otherform of location determination may be used to trigger the generation ofa map that is associated with the transaction, with the map being storedin the mobile device and/or provided to the Issuer or another suitableentity.

Next the user acquires or provides the additional transaction data(stage 408). This may occur by triggering an application, function oroperation, inputting data using a keyboard or microphone, capturing animage using a camera contained in the device, preparing a text documentor message, etc. In a typical example, the additional information isprovided by a data input mechanism of the device (such as element 308 ofFIG. 3), or by activating a function installed on the device (such as anapplication stored in memory 312 of FIG. 3 or a location determiningfunction 310 of FIG. 3). The acquired or generated data is then storedin the payment device (stage 410) (typically in a data storage elementor secure data storage element), and optionally may be associated withan identifier for the transaction. The identifier may be input by theuser from the keyboard, microphone, or other input device, or may beprovided as a result of communication with the merchant. If provided bycommunication with the merchant, the transaction identifier may beprovided by transmission over the cellular network or the near fieldcommunications capability. The transaction identifier may be suppliedseparately from, or as part of other transaction data provided to thedevice.

After acquiring or generating the transaction related data, the user maybe asked to select which of the stored transaction related data theydesire to append to the transaction record (stage 412). To facilitatethis, a transaction identifier may be appended to, or otherwiseassociated with the selected data (stage 414). This provides a way toenable a later recipient of the data (e.g., the Issuer or paymentprocessor) to maintain a record of the additional transaction relateddata in a way that associates that data with the transaction to which itapplies. Note that this step may not be necessary if the stored data waspreviously associated with a transaction identifier in a format that therecipient can understand and process, so that accessing the storedtransaction related data provides the identifier in a suitable format.The selected transaction related data and identifier may optionally beprovided to the Issuer, payment processor or another suitable entity sothat the additional information can be processed and supplied to theaccount holder as part of an account statement (stage 416). This may beaccomplished using a wireless communications network (such as thecellular system 122 of FIG. 2 in the case of a mobile phone containingthe payment device), or by a near field communications capability (suchas element 112 of FIG. 2) as a result of data transfer using amerchant's terminal or device reader. For example, the selectedtransaction related data and the identifier may pass from a mobiledevice directly to the Issuer or from a payment processing organizationto the Issuer via a mobile communications network. In another example,the selected transaction related data and the identifier may pass from amobile device directly to the merchant's POS (point of sale) terminaland then to the Issuer via a payment processing network and merchantacquirer.

The transaction related data provided to the Issuer is processed by theIssuer as part of generating a record of the transaction for theconsumer (the account holder), as shown at stage 418. This processingmay serve to format the data or otherwise prepare it for presentation tothe account holder as part of an account statement or bill. For example,the transaction related data may be provided as an addendum to the datanormally provided as part of the transaction record on an accountstatement. It may be presented as part of an additional field or commentsection for the transaction. In the case of an image or photograph, theinformation may be provided in the form of a link to a web-site fromwhich the image or photo may be accessed, or as a thumbnail image thatis part of the statement.

When the account holder receives their payment account statement, theymay use the additional transaction related data to assist them inverifying that a transaction listed on the statement is a validtransaction (stage 420). The additional information may be provided bythe Issuer as part of the account statement, or may be accessed by theaccount holder from a memory that is part of the payment device (such asa payment application memory that is part of a mobile phone). In eithercase the additional transaction related information may assist theaccount holder to recollect the circumstances of the transaction andhence overcome any uncertainty they may have with regards to thevalidity of the transaction. This is particularly advantageous incircumstances in which there is uncertainty as to whether a transactionis valid due to ambiguity in the merchant identification informationprovided on the statement.

The following is an example of a typical use case or scenario in whichthe inventive system, apparatus and methods may be used. It is notedthat the use case is only exemplary, as other use cases or scenarios arepossible and will be evident to those of skill in the art.

In one use case or scenario, a user visits a store to purchase food oranother type of product. The store is part of a chain of stores havingthe same name and general appearance (such as a “fast-food” orconvenience store franchise). The user pays for the transaction usingtheir mobile payment device, which includes a contactless element and apayment application. The contactless element may include a pre-paidbalance stored in memory from which the amount of a transaction isdeducted. The contactless element may include account data for a debitor credit account which is used to pay for the transaction. Afterinitiating the transaction, the payment application may ask the user ifthey wish to generate or acquire additional information regarding thetransaction that can be associated with the transaction. If the userreplies in the affirmative, the payment application (or anotherapplication installed on the mobile device) may ask the user to indicatewhat type of additional information they wish to generate or acquire.After the user indicates the desired type of additional information, themobile device may activate (or request that the user activate) anapplication or function to permit that information to be generated (asin the case of a text message, voice recording, photograph, etc.) oracquired (as in the case of a location determination, etc.).

After the additional information is generated or acquired, the paymentapplication may cause the information to be stored in the mobile device,along with a transaction identifier or transaction data received from amerchant. At a later time (such as after the transaction is completed),the payment application may ask the user if they wish to provide theadditional information to the Issuer, transaction processor, paymentprocessor, or another suitable entity. If the user replies in theaffirmative, then the payment application may cause the additionalinformation and transaction identifier to be transmitted to the entityvia either the wireless network or the near field communicationsmechanism. If the user does not desire to provide the additionalinformation to the Issuer, etc., then the information may remain storedin the mobile device for later access by the user when the user isreviewing their account statement. If the information is transmitted tothe Issuer, transaction processor, payment processor, or other suitableentity, etc., then the information, a subset of the information, or alink to the information may be provided to the user as part of theiraccount statement.

Note that in addition to providing a user with additional transactionrelated information that may be used to assist in verifying the validityof a transaction, embodiments of the present invention may also be usedas part of a system for detecting potentially fraudulent transactions(e.g., as part of a transaction authorization process). As an example,if a location determination is associated with a first transaction thatis performed using a mobile device and if a second transaction isinitiated later using a different method at a location that issufficiently distant, then it may be the case that one of the twotransactions is fraudulent. In such a situation a challenge response orother request for additional verification data may be issued prior toauthorizing a transaction.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an exemplary computing apparatus that maybe used to implement an embodiment of the inventive method or processfor assisting an account holder to verify the validity of a paymenttransaction by providing additional transaction related information on aconsumer's account statement or bill. The elements of the computingapparatus illustrated in FIG. 5 may be used to implement the inventiveprocesses, methods, or operations in whole or in part, and may be partof a server or other computing apparatus (e.g., a mobile device, amobile gateway, an Issuer managed server, etc.). The subsystems shown inFIG. 5 are interconnected via a system bus 500. Additional subsystemssuch as a printer 510, keyboard 520, fixed disk 530 (or other memorycomprising computer readable media), monitor 540, which is coupled todisplay adapter 550, and others are shown. Peripherals and input/output(I/O) devices, which couple to I/O controller 560, can be connected tothe computer system by any number of means known in the art, such asserial port 570. For example, serial port 570 or external interface 580can be used to connect the computer apparatus to a wide area networksuch as the Internet, a mouse input device, or a scanner. Theinterconnection via system bus allows the central processor 590 tocommunicate with each subsystem and to control the execution ofinstructions from system memory 595 or the fixed disk 530, as well asthe exchange of information between subsystems. The system memory 595and/or the fixed disk 530 may embody a computer readable medium.

In accordance with embodiments of the present invention there have beendescribed a system, apparatuses, and methods for enabling use of amobile device that includes a contactless element in a paymenttransaction. In some embodiments, the contactless element is embeddedwithin a mobile device that is capable of communication and datatransfer over a cellular network and using a near field communicationscapability. The contactless element may include a secure data storageregion that is used to store authentication data, transaction data,account data, etc. The cellular network may be used to provideadditional transaction related information over the air to an Issuer toenable that information to be provided to a user of the mobile device aspart of a payment account statement, and thereby to assist the user inverifying the validity of a transaction.

It should be understood that embodiments of the present invention asdescribed above can be implemented in the form of control logic usingcomputer software in a modular or integrated manner. Based on thedisclosure and teachings provided herein, a person of ordinary skill inthe art will know and appreciate other ways and/or methods to implementembodiments of the present invention using hardware and a combination ofhardware and software

Any of the software components or functions described in thisapplication, may be implemented as software code to be executed by aprocessor using any suitable computer language such as, for example,Java, C++ or Perl using, for example, conventional or object-orientedtechniques. The software code may be stored as a series of instructions,or commands on a computer readable medium, such as a random accessmemory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a magnetic medium such as ahard-drive or a floppy disk, or an optical medium such as a CD-ROM. Anysuch computer readable medium may reside on or within a singlecomputational apparatus, and may be present on or within differentcomputational apparatuses within a system or network.

While certain exemplary embodiments have been described in detail andshown in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that suchembodiments are merely illustrative of and not intended to berestrictive of the broad invention, and that this invention is not to belimited to the specific arrangements and constructions shown anddescribed, since various other modifications may occur to those withordinary skill in the art.

As used herein, the use of “a”, “an” or “the” is intended to mean “atleast one”, unless specifically indicated to the contrary.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer-implemented method for recordation ofelectronic payment transaction information, comprising: receiving, at anentity responsible for processing payment transaction data, from a pointof sale terminal, through a first communication channel, a first datastructure comprising a transaction record generated by the point of saleterminal responsive to a payment transaction conducted with a mobiledevice at a physical location of the point of sale terminal, thegenerated transaction record comprising a transaction identifier;receiving, at the entity responsible for processing payment transactiondata, from the mobile device, through a second communication channeldistinct from the first communication channel, a second data structurecomprising a copy of the transaction identifier and additional paymenttransaction related information, the additional payment transactionrelated information generated at the physical location and time of thepayment transaction utilizing a sensor of the mobile device andindependently of the point of sale terminal, wherein the additionalpayment transaction related information: (i) is additional with respectto the transaction record, (ii) comprises sensor information withrespect to at least one aspect of the physical location obtained atleast in part with the sensor function of the mobile device and (iii)has at least one characteristic that assists a user of the mobile deviceto recollect the circumstances of the payment transaction; creating, atthe entity responsible for processing payment transaction data, a thirddata structure corresponding to an association of the additional paymenttransaction related information with the independently obtainedtransaction record based at least in part on (i) the transactionidentifier in the generated transaction record of the first datastructure and (ii) the copy of the transaction identifier in the seconddata structure; receiving, at a time subsequent to the occurrence of thepayment transaction conducted with the mobile device, an independentrequest initiated by the user of the mobile device with respect to oneor more transaction records including the transaction record;determining, in response to the independent request initiated by theuser of the mobile device, the transaction identifier of the transactionrecord based at least in part on the transaction identifier in thegenerated transaction record of the first data structure; determining,in response to the independent request initiated by the user of themobile device, the additional payment transaction related informationassociated with the transaction record based at least in part on thedetermined transaction identifier and the third data structure that isbased at least in part on (i) the transaction identifier in thegenerated transaction record of the first data structure and (ii) thecopy of the transaction identifier in the second data structure; andproviding, in response to the independent request initiated by the userof the mobile device, a fourth data structure comprising at least aportion of the transaction record and the determined additional paymenttransaction related information such that the additional paymenttransaction related information is presented to the user of the mobiledevice along with the at least a portion of the transaction record, thepresentation based at least in part on the determined additional paymenttransaction related information including the sensor information withrespect to at least one aspect of the physical location obtained atleast in part with the sensor function of the mobile device that has atleast one characteristic that assists a user of the mobile device torecollect the circumstances of the payment transaction.
 2. Acomputer-implemented method in accordance with claim 1, wherein themobile device comprises a wireless mobile phone.
 3. Acomputer-implemented method in accordance with claim 1, wherein theadditional payment transaction related information is generatedresponsive to an explicit user indication that the user desires togenerate additional payment transaction related information for thepayment transaction.
 4. A computer-implemented method in accordance withclaim 1, wherein the payment transaction occurs in response tocommunication between the mobile device and the point of sale terminalutilizing a near field communications mechanism.
 5. Acomputer-implemented method in accordance with claim 1, wherein thefirst communication channel comprises a payment processing network.
 6. Acomputer-implemented method in accordance with claim 1, wherein thefirst communication channel comprises a payment processing network andthe second communication channel comprises a wireless phone network. 7.A computer-implemented method in accordance with claim 1, wherein thesensor of the mobile device comprises a camera and the additionalpayment transaction related information comprises visual informationwith respect to the at least one aspect of the physical location.
 8. Acomputerized system for recordation of electronic payment transactioninformation, comprising: one or more computers responsible forprocessing payment transaction data communicatively coupled with a pointof sale terminal through a first communication channel and with a mobiledevice through a second communication channel distinct from the firstcommunication channel, the point of sale terminal configured at least togenerate a transaction record responsive to a payment transactionconducted with the mobile device at a physical location of the point ofsale terminal, the generated transaction record comprising a transactionidentifier, the one or more computers configured to, at least: receivefrom the point of sale terminal, through the first communicationchannel, a first data structure comprising the generated transactionrecord; receive from the mobile device, through the second communicationchannel, a second data structure comprising a copy of the transactionidentifier and additional payment transaction related information, theadditional payment transaction related information generated at thephysical location and time of the payment transaction utilizing a sensorof the mobile device and independently of the point of sale terminal,wherein the additional payment transaction related information: (i) isadditional with respect to the transaction record, (ii) comprises sensorinformation with respect to at least one aspect of the physical locationobtained at least in part with the sensor function of the mobile deviceand (iii) has at least one characteristic that assists a user of themobile device to recollect the circumstances of the payment transaction;create a third data structure corresponding to an association of theadditional payment transaction related information with theindependently obtained transaction record based at least in part on (i)the transaction identifier in the generated transaction record of thefirst data structure and (ii) the copy of the transaction identifier inthe second data structure; receive, at a time subsequent to theoccurrence of the payment transaction conducted with the mobile device,an independent request initiated by the user of the mobile device withrespect to one or more transaction records including the transactionrecord; determine, in response to the independent request initiated bythe user of the mobile device, the transaction identifier of thetransaction record based at least in part on the transaction identifierin the generated transaction record of the first data structure;determine, in response to the independent request initiated by the userof the mobile device, the additional payment transaction relatedinformation associated with the transaction record based at least inpart on the determined transaction identifier and the third datastructure that is based at least in part on (i) the transactionidentifier in the generated transaction record of the first datastructure and (ii) the copy of the transaction identifier in the seconddata structure; and provide, in response to the independent requestinitiated by the user of the mobile device, a fourth data structurecomprising at least a portion of the transaction record and thedetermined additional payment transaction related information such thatthe additional payment transaction related information is presented tothe user of the mobile device along with the at least a portion of thetransaction record, the presentation based at least in part on thedetermined additional payment transaction related information includingthe sensor information with respect to at least one aspect of thephysical location obtained at least in part with the sensor function ofthe mobile device that has at least one characteristic that assists auser of the mobile device to recollect the circumstances of the paymenttransaction.
 9. A computerized system in accordance with claim 8,wherein the additional payment transaction related information ispresented to the user in a context of an account statement that includesthe payment transaction.
 10. A computerized system in accordance withclaim 9, wherein the account statement includes a link to a web-sitefrom which the additional information related to the payment transactionmay be accessed by the user.
 11. A computerized system in accordancewith claim 8, wherein the transaction record further comprises anaccount holder's payment account number, a currency code, a sale amount,and a merchant transaction stamp.
 12. A computerized system inaccordance with claim 8, wherein the additional payment transactionrelated information is generated for later viewing by the user of themobile device.
 13. A computerized system in accordance with claim 8,wherein the additional payment transaction related information assiststhe user to recollect the circumstances of the transaction at least inpart by including the sensor information with respect to at least oneaspect of the physical location obtained coincident with the paymenttransaction.
 14. A computerized system in accordance with claim 8,wherein the sensor of the mobile device comprises a camera and theadditional payment transaction related information comprises visualinformation with respect to the at least one aspect of the physicallocation.
 15. One or more non-transitory computer readable media havingthereon computer executable instructions that, when executed by one ormore computers, collectively cause the one or more computers to, atleast: receive, from a point of sale terminal, through a firstcommunication channel, a first data structure comprising a transactionrecord generated by the point of sale terminal responsive to a paymenttransaction conducted with a mobile device at a physical location of thepoint of sale terminal, the generated transaction record comprising atransaction identifier; receive, from the mobile device, through asecond communication channel distinct from the first communicationchannel, a second data structure comprising a copy of the transactionidentifier and additional payment transaction related information, theadditional payment transaction related information generated at thephysical location and time of the payment transaction utilizing a sensorof the mobile device and independently of the point of sale terminal,wherein the additional payment transaction related information: (i) isadditional with respect to the transaction record, (ii) comprises sensorinformation with respect to at least one aspect of the physical locationobtained at least in part with the sensor function of the mobile deviceand (iii) has at least one characteristic that assists a user of themobile device to recollect the circumstances of the payment transaction;create a third data structure corresponding to an association of theadditional payment transaction related information with theindependently obtained transaction record based at least in part on (i)the transaction identifier in the generated transaction record of thefirst data structure and (ii) the copy of the transaction identifier inthe second data structure; receive, at a time subsequent to theoccurrence of the payment transaction conducted with the mobile device,an independent request initiated by the user of the mobile device withrespect to one or more transaction records including the transactionrecord; determine, in response to the independent request initiated bythe user of the mobile device, the transaction identifier of thetransaction record based at least in part on the transaction identifierin the generated transaction record of the first data structure;determine, in response to the independent request initiated by the userof the mobile device, the additional payment transaction relatedinformation associated with the transaction record based at least inpart on the determined transaction identifier and the third datastructure that is based at least in part on (i) the transactionidentifier in the generated transaction record of the first datastructure and (ii) the copy of the transaction identifier in the seconddata structure; and provide, in response to the independent requestinitiated by the user of the mobile device, a fourth data structurecomprising at least a portion of the transaction record and thedetermined additional payment transaction related information such thatthe additional payment transaction related information is presented tothe user of the mobile device along with the at least a portion of thetransaction record, the presentation based at least in part on thedetermined additional payment transaction related information includingthe sensor information with respect to at least one aspect of thephysical location obtained at least in part with the sensor function ofthe mobile device that has at least one characteristic that assists auser of the mobile device to recollect the circumstances of the paymenttransaction.
 16. One or more non-transitory computer readable media inaccordance with claim 15, wherein generation of the additional paymenttransaction related information at the physical location and time of thepayment transaction reduces a rate at which the payment transaction isreported as potentially fraudulent by the user.
 17. One or morenon-transitory computer readable media in accordance with claim 15,wherein the payment transaction is detected as potentially fraudulentbased at least in part on the additional payment transaction relatedinformation generated at the physical location by the mobile device. 18.One or more non-transitory computer readable media in accordance withclaim 17, wherein the payment transaction is detected as potentiallyfraudulent as part of a process of authorizing the payment transaction.19. One or more non-transitory computer readable media in accordancewith claim 15, wherein the generated additional payment transactionrelated information is modified to incorporate the transactionidentifier thereby enabling association of the newly generatedadditional payment transaction related information with the paymenttransaction for which the additional payment transaction relatedinformation was generated.
 20. One or more non-transitory computerreadable media in accordance with claim 15, wherein the sensor of themobile device comprises a camera and the additional payment transactionrelated information comprises visual information with respect to the atleast one aspect of the physical location.